Russell has chilly winters and hot summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Russell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Russell’s climate
Read from where Russell sits among Kansas’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Russell averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 57% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
About 176 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 17.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
What a year in Russell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
10 inches of snow, 26 of rain and melt
July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 76 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Living with Russell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
176 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 22 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 17.
About 10" in a normal winter.
Months averaging under 55° run from November through April. Heating is 78% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 63 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 93°.
The nicest months are April, May, September and October. 4.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Russell and its neighbors
Russell has the coldest January nights next door (19°) and Grant the hottest July afternoons (93°). Tap a town to see its climate.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
How Russell compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Kansas.
Russell weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 19° | 0.5" | 1.8" | 3 | 4 | 24° – 42° |
| February | 47° | 22° | 0.7" | 3.7" | 4 | 4 | 25° – 43° |
| March | 58° | 31° | 1.3" | 0.7" | 5 | 1 | 37° – 56° |
| April | 67° | 40° | 2.1" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| May | 77° | 51° | 4.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 57° – 71° |
| June | 88° | 62° | 3.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 93° | 67° | 4.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 75° – 86° |
| August | 90° | 65° | 3.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 56° | 2.1" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| October | 70° | 43° | 1.8" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| November | 56° | 30° | 1.0" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 36° – 50° |
| December | 44° | 21° | 0.8" | 2.5" | 3 | 3 | 24° – 37° |
| Year | 68° | 42° | 25.5" | 9.6" | 76 | 12 |
Heating and cooling a home in Russell
78% of the work is heating.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Common questions about Russell’s climate
What is the coldest month in Russell?
January, with a typical high of 42° and a low of 19°.
What is the hottest month in Russell?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 67°. About 63 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Russell get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Russell?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 17, and the last spring frost by April 22.
What is the rainiest month in Russell?
July, with 4.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 26 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Russell.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Russell itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Wilson Lake, KS (20 mi, snow) and Russell Municipal Airport, KS (2 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.